Sulfite-waste explosive.



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SULFITE-WASTE EXPLOSIVE.

1&56 366.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, FRITZ RAscHIc, doctor of philosophy, chemist, acitizen of the Gerand sulfite-waste constituents.

It also comprises an explosivejnwhich the ingredients above mentionedare present in substantially homogeneousintermixture, and in which theindividual particles of the explosive, in whole or in part, are made upof both ingredients; and it further comprises a process of producingsuch an explosive5v all as more fully hereinafter set orth'and asclaimed; v In the manufacture'oi paper or of paper pulp by thesulfiteprocess ap roximately one-halfofthe Wood or other ce lulosic materialtreated 'isipresent in the waste liquors, commonly known as wastesulfiteliquors. The sulfite liquors used in the paper making process,such as calcium, magnesium or sodium bi'sulfite, disintegrate and breakup the wood or other fibers, separatingthe cellulose from thenon-cellulosic constituents,

' and dissolving the lignin or lignone and other soluble non-cellulosicconstituents. Among the products present in this sulfite solution aredextrose and various other sugars,.xylose, aceticaci'd, tannic acid,nitrogen-compounds, resins, etc, as well as the so-called alkali.orearth alkali lignin-sulfonates, which last named products are theprincipal prod cts of the reaction of the sulfite upon the wood-fiberstreated. The composition of these liquors varies somewhat with the woodtreated, with the length and conditions of treatment, and with thesulfite used, the lignin com ounds however, probably in the form of suionic acid salts, forming the principal constituent of the extractivematter present in the solution.

In making the novel explosives of the present invention the oxidizingagent can be dissolved in the sulfite liquors-"and the liquorsevaporated to dryness, or the liquors can be evaporated nearly orcompletely Specification of Letters Patent,

Application filed April 11, 1912. Serial No. 690,184;

Patented Mar. s, 1913,

to, dryness and the oxidizin mately intermixed with the' l ably orstrongly acid, to neutralize or other wise sub ect them to a preliminarytreatacl'd' present can, for instance,- be neuacidity can be neutralizedwith lime and insoluble lime compounds removed. The liquors can beconcentrated or even evaporated to dryness, and the concentrated liquor,or plastic or solid. mass used for making the novel explosives.

In making the new explosives by the dry mixing method the sulfiteliquors are evapo- .mixing can then be efi'ected the mixing machine. It.is, however, in general more with the waste sulfite liquors while stillin solution or while there is still enough liquor or liquid present tomake the mixing a Wet,

intimacy of incorporationof the ingredients is thus possible, and ahomogeneity of prod tain with the dry mixing process. For, since theingredients when in solution are capable of greater interpenetration,the re-. sulting product obtained from such wet nearly homogeneousintermixture, and the up! in whole or in part of both ingredients. '1 ehomogeneous nature of the product thus obtainable enables substantiallycom.-

plete combustion to take place, and as a result the-formation of smokeis minimized or entirely avoided. The dry mixing process, however,offers the advantage that the constituents of the sulfite waste liquorswhen evaporated. to dryness become much less soluble, so that themixture partalres more of the nature of a mixture of the oxidizing agentwith insoluble ingredients.

The incorporation or intermixture of the oxidizing agent and the woodfiber constituents oi the waste sufite liquors, according agent inti-"ry material." It is frequently advantageous, especially where thesulfite waste liquors are appreoa l" ment or concentration before using-The rated to dryness, and advantageously given a preliminary grindingand breaking up before mixing with the oxidizing agent. The

advantageous to mix the oxidizing agent uct obtainable, which it isimpossible to ob-' mixing contains the ingredients ina more particles ofthe explosive obtained are made t-ralized with ammonia, the calcium. prei. cipitated with ammonium sulfate, and the" calcium sulfate filteredoff; or again the 'as dsitinguished from a dry, mixing. An

. geously liquid, or when can be further treated to give to it the detothe wet process of the present invention can be eiiected in variousways. It is usually suiiicient merely to dissolve the oxidizing agent inthe liquor, and evaporate to dryness. Such evaporation is advantaeffected with stirring to promote homogeneity. Again the solution can berun in theform of a thin stream on to rollers internally heated-by steamto 100 or above by means oii which practically instantaneous evaporationcan be eiiected. The evaporated ribbon like inassis scraped oft therollers by scrapers, or other appliances. Again such heated rollers canbe arranged in a vacuum chamber and the evaporation or drying effectedat a correspondingly lower temperature. In the case of the ammoniumnitrate explosives the temperatureshould be kept below that at which theam: -monium compounds, are decomposed or volatilized. The evaporation ofthe waste sulfite liquors tends to make the wood fiber constituentscontained in them lesssoluble, so that the final products are insolubleor relatively much use soluble than before evaporation. The explosive,after removal of the compounded in a dry state,

sired shape or consistency, and it can be used as an exploslv eitheralone or cornblncd with other e 'ploslve ingredients, or

with modifying ingredients or diluents' Small amounts of such materialsas vascline, 35,

wax, etc. can be'mixed withthe explosive, or film-torming solutions canbe used to intermix or coat the particles of the explosive. V

k The explosives obtainable from the sulfite waste constituents a dammonium nitrate as the oxygen carrier 'orm ammonium nitrate explosiveswith many valuable properties and uses not inherent in the old ammoniumnitrate explosives made by mixing ammonium nitrate with such combustiblesubstances as charcoal powder, cornmeal, etc.

Such old explosives are not reliable when detonated wlt-h primers, itbeing necessary to add thereto highly explosive substances such astrinitrotoluol or nitroglycerin, etc.

The ammonium nitrate'explosives of the r'esentwtion, on the other hand,can be detonated with primers and are very'efiective. Even when dilutedby the addition ofappreciable amounts of inert substances they can stillbe reliably detonated 'and 'possess high explosive power. The additionof up to 30% of such an inert material as sulfate of sodium can be made,

' and reliable andeflicient explosives still obtained.

The present invention, which is of general application, is furtherillustrated and exemplified by the following specific embodiments of itsapplication.

Example 1: parts of nitrate of ammonium are dissolved in waste sulfiteliquors containing 15 parts of dry wood fiber constituents. The liquorsare then evaporated to dryness with stirring, or by running the liquidon steam heated rollers heated to 100 or above as already described. Thesulfite liquors used may be in their diluted condition, or partiallyevaporated. Again the sulfite liquors can be evaporated to dryness andthe dried material and the oxygen carrier mixed in a mixing machine; orthe sulfite waste may be evaporated to a thick but still liquid or pastyconsistency and the alkali nitrate incorporated therewith.

Example 2 60 parts of nitrate of ammonia and 30 parts of sulfate ofsodium are dissolved in waste sulfite liquors containing 10 parts ofwood fiber constituents, and the liquors are evaporated to dryness asallready described.

Instead of the ammonium nitrate of the foregoing examples,sodium orpotassium nitrate, or other oxidizing agent or agents can be used, suchas potassium perchlorate, etc.

Sulfite waste liquors made from other cellulosic material than woodcan'be used in a similar manner. 1

Variations and modifications can be made in the processes and roductsabove described without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention, and all such variations and modifications are embraced withinthe invention as set forth in the accompanying claims.

The term non-cellulosic wood fiber constituents is used in the presentspecification and claims to indicate those ingredients of wood andsimilar. cellulosic material from which the paper stock or cellulose hasbeen entirely or substantially, removed by such processes as thoseemployed in paper making, the cellulose itself constituting the pulp orpaper stock. The term sulfite Waste constituents is similarly used, butwith a. more specific'meaning, to indicate those ingredients of wood andsimilar material which are found in solution in the waste sulfiteliquors resulting from the sulfite process 0]": pulp treatment, and fromwhich the pulp or. cellulosic material itself has been separated.

I claim:

1. The process of producing an explosive which comprises mtcrmixing anoxidizing agent with sulfite waste liquors, and evapo producing aninierinixing ammoni n'asie constituenis in in.

and evaporating ii liqui i, e

comprising an oxidizing d 5. An efizpiosiva iosic wood fiber COIXStihP11;; an oxidizing wants f ceniprising an oxidizing v-xnsie coustituntsin which 1 parizicies incmcie nitrate and sniiite Waste constituents.

10. An expiasive comprising ammonium nitrate and suifite "wasteconstituents, in which explosive the individual particles include bothingredients.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twoSUi)C1'ii)i1lg witnesses. v

FRITZ RASCH G; Witnesses:

RICHARD Rncnnn, Jonnrmns DEUSGHEL.

